Unfortunately, we are not talking about polymethylsiloxane oils, but about female premenstrual syndrome. And to be ready to meet the enemy, you need to arm yourself with nine facts about PMS.
How it all began...
For the first time, the term "premenstrual syndrome" was mentioned by Dr. Robert Frank in 1931, describing the cyclical instability of the psychological state of patients. And the pain that women experience during this period is called "algomenorrhea".
Mental work and PMS
Sad statistics: PMS occurs in 20% of women aged 18 to 29, and from 30 years this number increases to 60%. Most affected by PMS are women whose activities are related to mental work. So, if your girlfriend decided to get a Ph.D., then dissuade her from it without delay.
Diet and PMS
PMS affects women so much that even the most disciplined "diet" breaks down and indulges in carbohydrate foods: from chocolate desserts to sandwiches and pizza. So don't be surprised if your girlfriend, who previously ate two apples a day, suddenly switched to cheeseburgers.
Folk omens and PMS
Folk omens did not bypass PMS. As the people say, during the period of PMS, it was impossible to let anyone near any more or less important economic objects. It was believed that if a woman touches iron, it will rust, and if you taste an apple, the whole garden will burn.
Crime chronicle and PMS
Do you think that PMS is just broken plates and damaged nerves? Then you are deeply mistaken, because it has long been established that the vast majority of thefts committed by women fell on the period from the 21st to the 28th day of their menstrual cycle. According to some scientists, much more terrible crimes, acts of violence, as well as committed accidents occur on the same days.
Shopping and PMS
After the stresses experienced in THESE days, women try to distract themselves by shopping. As psychologists say, for some women, shopping is an anti-stress method of dealing with troubles in life. If you refer to studies, then a couple of days before menstruation, women are most tempted to go shopping. You know the consequences of such shopping trips.
Milk and PMS
If you want to protect yourself from the effects of PMS, take care of it and pour your girlfriend a glass of milk. Experimentally, scientists have proven that women who consumed calcium and vitamin D (which promotes calcium absorption) for a month were less prone to PMS. And milk contains both of these elements in the required quantities.
Myths about PMS
In the event that you believe that PMS is an integral process in the life of every woman, and that one way out is to drink milk to your girlfriend for up to 50 years, then you are deeply mistaken. In fact, only 10% of the fair sex have symptoms of PMS. And even if your lady is in these 10%, then know that this is not a chronic disease, so the symptoms can appear and disappear throughout life. So take a breath, PMS is not always the Period of Man's Suffering.
British scientists on PMS
British scientists were interested in whether men have a condition that could be compared with the condition of female PMS. Experts conducted a survey among 50 women and 50 men. It turned out that the male body is also subject to certain factors, as a result of which some members of the stronger sex become depressed, become irritable, experience pain and change their mood dramatically.
Health
It's no secret that a woman's behavior and mood are greatly influenced by her hormonal levels.
It is the hormones that cause a woman to become easily irritated, sometimes for no apparent reason begins to behave aggressively or sheds a sea of tears while watching a movie that she has already seen ten times.
A man must remember that there are "special" days of the month when he needs more attention, care and love . Perhaps it is worth once again presenting a bouquet of flowers, buying your favorite chocolate and creating a romantic atmosphere for your beloved that will brighten up "these days of the month."
Romance and a sensitive attitude will do their job: it will be much easier for your beloved to cope with raging hormones.
Perhaps after reading the list of, the stronger sex will understand their loved ones more, and life with them will become more harmonious.
Importance of the hormones estrogen and progesterone
1. It's not just estrogens
When it comes to female hormones, we often mention estrogen. And, of course, such increased attention to them is not unreasonable.
Estrogen - it is the main and most important female sex hormone, which is responsible for most of the various functions in a woman's body, including breast growth and maturation of the genital organs during adolescence.
Estrogen also affects the menstrual cycle and a number of other functions not related to childbearing.
Progesterone also plays an important role in the menstrual cycle, in particular, it helps to prepare the uterus for the fertilized embryo.
The placenta of a pregnant woman produces progesterone, which is responsible for the growth of the fetus. The surge and decrease in the level of this hormone is affected by childbirth, as well as the start of breastfeeding.
In the body of a woman, testosterone, the male sex hormone, is also present, although in much smaller quantities. . Testosterone is associated with a woman's sex drive and also affects bone and muscle density.
The pituitary gland, in addition to the three main hormones, secretes others that also regulate the menstrual cycle.
2. Every woman is different.
When you start dating a woman and getting to know her better, there comes a point when you will learn some things related to her hormones. For instance,how the menstrual cycle affects her behavior and mood.
But when you start dating another woman, a simple truth becomes clear: every woman's hormones behave differently.
One can fall into depression or sadness, the other develops unbridled craving for food, the behavior of the third is characterized by other strange habits.
Every healthy woman has the same hormones. The only difference is the level of these hormones. Depending on age and some other characteristics, the level of hormones either decreases or increases every month on the eve of menstruation.
During the reproductive period, a woman may have between 50 and 400 picograms of estrogen per milliliter of blood.
So don't think you know about a woman's hormones and how they affect her behavior just because you've been in a previous relationship.
PMS in women
3. PMS is serious
Some doctors have equated premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with complete disorder. According to experts, PMS is a fairly strong argument that excuses tearfulness, mood swings, whims, cravings for unhealthy food, passivity or aggressiveness of a woman during a certain period of the month.
According to experts, three women out of four every month they experience all the hardships of the so-called premenstrual syndrome.
No one knows exactly what causes PMS: is it a consequence of fluctuating hormones, which in turn provokes chemical changes in the brain, or is it something else?
Some women also suffer from insomnia, headaches, and intestinal upset.
These symptoms can be intermittent, but eating healthy foods and taking medication can help relieve them.
However, not all women experience PMS as a mild ailment. Some experience an extreme even debilitating type of PMS known as PMDD
(premenstrual dysphoric disorder).
PMDD is accompanied by severe symptoms. The woman feels increased irritability, high anxiety, bouts of inexplicable anger. Sometimes a doctor prescribes treatment in the form of birth control or even antidepressants.
It is worth noting that some clinicians refer to PMDD as to a particular psychiatric disorder.
But there are also women who have absolutely no symptoms of PMS. For others, there are only minor changes in mood and general well-being.
Menstrual cycle and ovulation
4. The menstrual cycle varies
It is known that on average, the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. In the middle of the cycle, the ovary releases a mature egg. If the egg is fertilized at this point, it moves into the uterine cavity and eventually becomes an embryo.
If fertilization does not occur, the walls of the egg begin to exfoliate in the form of blood clots . The output of blood is called "period". And, as a rule, it lasts seven days. Relying on such a schedule, a woman can always determine her "period".
But the number 28 isaveraged.Some women have a shorter cycle, while others have a longer one. For some women, the "period" lasts only a couple of days, while for others almost a week.
Further complicating matters is the fact that both cycle and period can change over time. Taking various medications, playing sports, stress or bad habits can also affect the change in the cycle and period.
Many women cannot accurately calculate the specific date of the beginning and end of the "period". Such fuzziness in the cycle and period in women was the reason why birth control pills were invented that completely suppress ovulation and control the cycle, thanks to artificial hormones in their composition.
Contraceptives not only reduce the chances of getting pregnant to zero (if used correctly), but also ensure the regularity of the cycle in a woman.
Feeling good during pregnancy
5. Pregnancy is exhausting
Do you think that hormones drive you crazy only during puberty or on "these" days? Everything changes when a woman becomes pregnant.
HcG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced exclusively by the cells of the developing placenta.
Pregnancy tests are nothing more than checking the body for the presence of this hormone.. It is his presence in the body that gives out on the test such long-awaited and cherished or, on the contrary, shocking two strips.
With the growth of the placenta, the level of this hormone rises sharply during the first trimester. Therefore, very often most pregnant women suffer from nausea in the morning.
The HcG hormone makes a woman more susceptible to disease as the immune system weakens, so Practically everyone is familiar with this terrible word - toxicosis.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone play a very active role here. Thanks to estrogen, the pregnant woman's breasts grow, the baby's organs develop.
However, in a woman, due to a weakened immune system, the skin becomes sensitive, rashes may appear. And the expectant mother herself may be prone to various acute respiratory infections.
The hormone progesterone regulates the functions of the placenta, expands the uterus, but it also causes heartburn and indigestion.
Only a few women can be called lucky women who do not experience any health problems during pregnancy.
It is worth remembering that during pregnancy you can undermine your health more than ever, so you should take your well-being more seriously and especially carefully monitor the hormonal background that is raging at this time.
Female hormones in men
6. Female hormones are not only in women.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone are traditionally associated with the weaker sex. But just as women have testosterone (the dominant male hormone), so too in the body of a man there is a "female hormone", just in smaller quantities.
In fact, estrogen is chemically very similar to testosterone. In men, estrogen is produced from testosterone by the action of an enzyme. aromatase.
This adrenal enzyme contributes to the regulation of the male reproductive system, and also affects his behavior. The older a man gets, the higher the level of estrogen in the body. Conversely, testosterone levels decline as a man ages.
An imbalance of estrogen in men can cause significant health problems. Sometimes a surge of estrogen in the body is the result of obesity, as this The “female” hormone is produced mainly in fat cells.
In men with diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, or suffering from heart failure, the level of tarragon went off scale or, on the contrary, was below the norm.
So that maintaining hormonal balance very important when it comes to men's health. Progesterone in a man's body helps regulate estrogen levels. Therefore, when doctors detect an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone in a man's body, he is prescribed hormonal supplements.
Women's menopause
7. Menopause is a gradual process.
Essentially, menopause only means that a woman ceases to be fertile. A post-menopausal woman is one who has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.
Most of us have heard about the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Flushing to the head, excessive sweating at night, and palpitations are not an exhaustive list. unpleasant symptoms.
Women are afraid of this moment in advance, when their body begins to rebuild in a new way. Of course, all changes are associated with hormones or, more precisely, with a reduction in the production of hormones by the ovaries.
What you may not realize is that menopause is a rather slow and gradual process. Menopause does not immediately turn off the hormonal background in a woman. Sometimes menopause can last for years .
(PMS) has a more devastating impact on a woman's life than previously thought.
In moderate and severe cases, it prevents a woman from not only working normally, but also just living her daily life.
Many women believe that the pronounced manifestations of PMS are normal, and put up with their condition, thinking that they have no choice.
But if PMS ruins plans and prevents a woman from communicating with other people, caring for children and working as usual, it's time to turn to medicine for help.
In one recent study, more than 400 women recorded their condition in a daily diary for 2 months. Participants rated sleep, appetite, bloating, performance, and feelings of irritability, depression, and apathy. Women indicated how often they had to be absent from work and how much PMS affected them.
It turned out that women with moderate and severe premenstrual syndrome:
- Almost 9 times more likely to experience a deterioration in well-being, which is observed for 1 week or longer.
- 5 times more likely to complain about a decrease in performance (in 80% of women in this group, it lasted a week or longer).
- Twice as likely to take sick leave for two or more days.
True, there is no exact data on how many women suffer from complicated PMS. In the mentioned study, their number was 30%.
Part of the difficulty stems from the fact that women do not see a doctor until their PMS symptoms begin to really threaten their normal lives. Although, on the other hand, the problems that are traditionally associated with PMS can be caused by other reasons.
In addition, there is no exact definition of premenstrual syndrome, so it is not easy to collect reliable statistics on this problem. Some say that the problem of PMS is far-fetched, others - that it is very common and occurs in 30-70% of women.
It is estimated that approximately 4% of women have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMD), a severe form of PMS. It is difficult to determine how many women suffer from it, since many of them do not go to the doctor.
More research is needed to develop a unified definition of PMS. Many women have associated health problems. For example, depression can make you feel worse before your period. Scientists are not yet sure how hormonal changes during menstruation affect the level of serotonin, a substance that regulates a person's mood. Thyroid disease can also be the cause of poor health.
In general, there is something to talk about with a doctor.
Here are some ways to help relieve PMS symptoms:
- Exercise several times a week.
- Eat right, during menstruation, eat more foods rich in complex carbohydrates (cereals, potatoes).
- Eat foods high in calcium, which will not only make you feel better, but also strengthen your bones.
- Ask your doctor if you can take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants.
According to statistics, from 5 to 40% of women are prone to premenstrual syndrome - a set of symptoms provoked by the pathological passage of the second part of the menstrual cycle. Also, statistics claim that most often PMS is visited by residents of large cities, and the risk of getting the syndrome grows with the passing years. Is PMS a disease? And if so, how to treat premenstrual syndrome?
Behavior in PMS
Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome begin to appear in the period from 2 to 10 days before the onset of menstruation. There are six main types of the syndrome with common features:
Psychovegetative form characterized by tearfulness, irritability, resentment, insomnia or, on the contrary, drowsiness, general weakness. A woman is prone to depression, decreased libido, there is an increased sensitivity to smells and sounds. Not infrequently, PMS is accompanied by constipation and flatulence. Aggression intensifies during adolescence.
- Cephalgic form- paroxysmal headaches, fainting, nausea, vomiting, irritability, redness of the face.
- edematous form- sweating, swelling, itching, acne, pain in the mammary glands and muscles, swelling of the mammary glands, bloating, weight gain.
- crisis form- high blood pressure, rapid pulse, fear of death. Panic attacks appear at night. As a rule, women in the menopause with cardiovascular problems, diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract suffer from the crisis form of PMS.
- Atypical form- migraine attacks during menstruation, ulcerative stomatitis and gingivitis, asthma attacks, vomiting, fever.
- mixed form- a mixture of symptoms of several forms of premenstrual syndrome.
It should be remembered that PMS is considered a disease. If you have similar symptoms, you should seek help from a gynecologist. Often a woman visits a neurologist or psychologist, sincerely believing that her irritability, anxiety and sleep disturbance are caused by psychological problems. In fact, the characteristics of behavior and health status depend on the level of hormones in the blood. Therefore, only a gynecologist can tell how to alleviate premenstrual syndrome.
How to treat premenstrual syndrome
Treatment of PMS is carried out in a complex way, with the appointment of sedative and psychotropic, as well as hormonal drugs. Depending on the form of PMS, appropriate pharmacological agents are used. For example, with an increase in blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are recommended, diuretics are prescribed for swelling, and antihistamines for allergic reactions.
Usually, PMS treatment lasts up to six months and is accompanied by the intake of vitamin complexes, in particular group B, and magnesium.
Prevention of PMS
You can prevent PMS, thereby reducing the risk of unwanted symptoms. Prevention measures include regular sex life, oral contraceptives, lack of stress and a healthy lifestyle.
How to reduce PMS symptoms? Tea with mint and chamomile, valerian or motherwort tincture will help you. Introduce more rice, dairy products, legumes, fish, vegetables, fruits, and dark chocolate into your diet. Do physical exercises without strenuous exercise. Do not smoke. Reduce the consumption of strong coffee and do not get carried away with alcoholic beverages. And try to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep a day.
